For decades, the lives of Kashmiri women were defined by silence. Shackled to fixed social norms and political upheavals, they were kept in the periphery encouraged to wed young, manage the family, and remain under cover from public sight. Their aspirations were laughed at, their voice silenced, and their abilities never even probed. Today, though, across Kashmir's villages, valleys, towns, and colleges, women are standing up, persistently, defiantly, and quietly that is changing their own history.

This change did not occur overnight. It lies in a long history of struggle, resistance, and perseverance. And it started, as revolutions always start, with education. Education for girls was long a luxury or an affront. Girls were encouraged to leave school early and embrace domestic life. The decades of turmoil only worsened matters, schools were out of reach, and dreams were lost under intimidation. But despite all the odds, girls and women began to reclaim education as a right and instrument of empowerment.
The girl literacy rate in Jammu and Kashmir was only 46% in 2001. By now, it had risen to over 58.01%, and more recent unofficial estimates suggest further improvement, especially in urban areas such as Srinagar. The shift is not only in quantity, but in purpose. Girls are no longer simply attending school; they are dreaming beyond the chalkboard. They are pursuing fields previously off-limits engineering, law, medicine, journalism, data science, and even artificial intelligence. Classrooms that had previously a few girls now have them leading from the front.
Dr. Shahnaz, a young woman from the remote village of Palhallan in Baramulla district, personifies this shift. As a child, she dreamt of becoming an engineer—an ambition that was mocked and dismissed in her conservative environment. People around her questioned why a girl would need such a degree. But Shahnaz was undeterred. Through determination and hard work, she worked diligently, gained admission to a leading engineering college, and is now employed by a top tech company. Her tale not only transformed her life but has also altered the ambitions of a whole generation of girls in her neighborhood, demonstrating that dreams do not have to be gender-specific.
But the Kashmiri women's revolution does not end with academic achievements. They are now claiming space in the economy too. Whereas earlier business entrepreneurship was virtually all-male, today women are becoming job-givers, entrepreneurs, and creators. From modest local enterprises to international exports, Kashmiri women are employing their skills, legacy, and creativity to establish enterprises that not only empower them but entire communities as well.
One of such pioneers is Sara from Srinagar, who took up her family business of Pashmina weaving. With little formal business training but an intimate knowledge of her work, she sensed a gap in the market for genuine, high-quality handmade items. She started small and has since developed a brand that is now sold through international markets. Her company is not only a symbol of economic success—it is a reclaiming of cultural heritage, women's leadership, and intergenerational legacy. Now, Sara has dozens of women working for her, learning skills and earning income, purpose, and dignity.
The increasing economic autonomy of women is also transforming the family and community dynamics. Women who were previously economically dependent are now equal earners of household incomes. They are taking decisions, investing in education for their children, and redefining what it means to be a woman in modern Kashmir.
But the transformation goes further it is not merely external but internal. Kashmiri women are finding their voices and using them. In a part of the world usually wracked by silence and violence, their declaration is an affirming act. Once absent from public debate, they are now contributing to discussions of peace, justice, development, and rights. They are leading grassroots movements, initiating social projects, writing, speaking, and interacting with the world around them. This expanding consciousness of agency is perhaps the deepest change. It is moving from being spoken over to speaking in one's own voice. Women who used to internalize shame and silence now are voicing opposition to gender violence, fighting for access to healthcare, and demanding space in politics and in civic life. They are not waiting for invitation; they are building stages and taking them.
All of this astounding development notwithstanding, issues remain. There are still traditional mindsets constraining many women, especially in rural and conservative areas. Gender violence is an agonizing fact, and healthcare facilities usually do not address the particular needs of women. Even the legacy of war continues to plague women, with many losing their loved ones or enduring decades of trauma. But even here, women are emerging as healers and advocates counseling, rebuilding communities, and not allowing pain to define their lives.
For real gender equality to be achieved, these cultural and structural challenges need to be tackled. Governments, communities, and families need to join forces to remove the blocks standing in women's way. This involves not just legislation and policy but also attitudes in society. Empowerment cannot be superficial; it needs to be ongoing, systemic, and backed up. The exclusive women only platforms need to be supported so that women comes out of the clutches of violence and oppression comfortably and reaches out to other women for help. The culture of women speaking for women needs to be encouraged not the vice versa as traditionally the Pakistani serials have been portraying and encouraging.
What is so remarkable about the Kashmiri women's story is that they have been leading change from within. They have not been waiting for saviors. They have derived strength in education, found identity in enterprise, and experienced freedom in self-expression. Their story is a living testament to what can be achieved when courage crosses paths with opportunity. As they climb, they are not only remaking their own stories they are reconstructing the narrative of a whole region. Their success is providing new role models for young girls, new aspirations for families, and new dreams for Kashmir itself. They are engineers, doctors, teachers, artists, weavers, writers, leaders and most importantly, they are designers of a fairer, more equal future.
In their long walk from silence to strength, from invisibility to power, Kashmiri women have demonstrated that even in the presence of the most daunting opposition, change is not only probable, it is inevitable and those winds of changes have already made their presence in Kashmir.

Email:---------------darakshanhassanbhat@gmail.com